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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24091726">Shine On, Harvest Moon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryGray/pseuds/MercuryGray'>MercuryGray</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mercy Street (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Gen, Late Night Conversations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:40:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24091726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryGray/pseuds/MercuryGray</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been a long day, and there is nothing Emma would like more than to enjoy a quiet, restorative moment with the lake. Other people, however, have other ideas.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emma Green &amp; Mary Phinney</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Mercy Street Summer Camp AU</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shine On, Harvest Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>Emma let the water lap around her legs and sighed. Oh, how she had longed for this! There was a blister throbbing on one of her toes, and Mary would probably read her the riot act later on the perils of bacteria in lake water, but for now, it was heavenly - and blessedly silent. No screaming campers, no screaming counselors, no screaming parents. Just the lake. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, humming to herself in the warm, close night.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Footsteps behind her told her the respite might be short lived - but when she turned, it was only Henry, looking a little worn out himself.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Long day?" He asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"The longest. Heat brings out the absolute worst in children."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Amen to that. Mind if I join you?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She might have said no to someone else, but Henry seemed the type who might appreciate the silence rather than try to fill it. "Pull up some dock," she offered, moving her shoes so he could sit down. There was no wind out, and the lake looked like old glass, occasionally rippled by a passing breeze, or the darting figure of a bat or bird over the water, hunting for bugs, the moon big and bright over everything. In the deep distance, a few frogs attempted a croaking contest.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Nice night - if you're not moving," he said. Emma chuckled. "What were you humming? It was pretty."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Mmm? Oh - old song my grandma used to sing. Shine On, Harvest Moon."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Don't think I know that one."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You wouldn't, it's from about 1910." Emma cleared her throat a little and tried to remember the words, settling for the refrain.</p>
  <p>"Oh, shine on, shine on, harvest moon, up in the sky; <br/>I ain't had no lovin' Since April, January, June or July.<br/>Snow time, ain't no time to stay <br/>Outdoors and spoon; <br/>So shine on, shine on, harvest moon."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She'd never really taken the time to listen to the song when Grandma had sung it, and there was a sudden flush of embarrassment about sitting on a dock with a boy she liked, singing songs that mentioned spooning. Henry, however, seemed not to have noticed - he was still gazing out over the lake, a slight and pensive smile on his lips. "Apparently her father would sing that to her when she was little," Emma went on, hoping her emerging tan might hide some of the blush. "He ran a still around here during Prohibition, so she always joked that he ought to have known a thing or two about moon shines."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It was an old joke, and a very threadbare and tired one, but Henry still snorted. "This place must have been something, back in the day," he mused aloud. "Fast cars and men in...fancy hats."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"There's some pictures at the historical society, if you need a day trip," Emma offered. "It's all a little...crumbly and I don't think they've changed anything since Nixon was in office, but it's fun, I guess. And I'm sure someone could find some moonshine, if you wanted to try it. There's a few folks around that still make it." <em>If you like drinking paint thinner</em>, she wanted to add, but that seemed mean. Her brother always said he liked it, but that, she was sure, was an affectation to be the 'country boy' he most certainly was not.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I may just take you up on that offer," he said, smiling. "Sometimes old musty pictures are just the thing."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>Did I just...ask him on a date? To the Historical Society? Jesus, Emma, really? </em>She could see her sister cringe.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But once more, Henry seemed not to notice. "I should probably head inside - I think my bugspray's wearing thin." He got to his feet, brushing off the seat of his shorts and adjusting his shirt. "You have a really pretty voice, Emma," he said, almost as an afterthought. Emma looked up, suddenly feeling very flushed again. "You should sing more often." And, compliment dispensed, he walked back towards the counselor's cabin, leaving Emma with the bugs, the frogs, and the moon, still shining on - though who for was anyone's guess but hers.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Shine On, Harvest Moon was originally published in 1908 by a couple who worked in vaudeville, Nora Baynes and Jack Norworth, and enjoyed a long shelf life with a lot of different performers. For maximum Prohibition vibes, I like Ruth Etting’s 1931 version.</p><p>And if you really need some feelings, consider paying close attention to the second verse.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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